St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-26
JOE MACKIN.
An Unfounded Report Relative
to Attempts to Secure His Par

An Unfounded Report Relative
to Attempts to Secure His Par
don.
CHICAGO, Nov. 25.-The report sent
out from this city to the effect that an
application would be made this week to
Gov. Oglesby for the pardon of Joseph
Chesterfield Mackin, the notorious bal
lot box Stuffer, who is serving out a
term of five years in the Joliet peniten-
tiary for perjury upon investigation to-
day is most emphatically denied by the
friends of the ex-pOlitician and whilom
secretary of the Cook county Democ-
racy. Mike" Mcdonald. the only iD-
dividual who would be prone to head any
movement to secure the liberation of his
former private secretary, is more buslly
at work trying to secure the release OF
bis own brother, Ed Mcdonald, from
industriOusly employed in this direction
for some months past. The statutes,
moreover, demand that the grounds
upon which the pardon of any
convict within the state peniten-
tiary is sought at the hands of the gov
ernor with the names of the petitioners
fully set forth be published several
months before any such application
may be made or could be entertained by
the governor. Nothing of this kind has
been done, nor from surrounding cir
cumStanceS is there any likelihood of
such petition being published with
signatures commencing it to favorable
action on the part of the governor, The
statement that "a large delegation will
make the attack on Gov. Oglesby this
groundless and silly fabrication, but to-
tally opposed to the only legal method
of procedure open to any of Mackin's
acquaintanceS who were sangulne
enough to believe that the governor
might be induced to shorten the term
of his imprisonment. State Attorney
Grinnell's significant reference to Mike
McDOnald'S close alliance with the con-
victed county thieves and the expressed
belief that his culpability was as great,
if not greater, in open court during the
trial would rather invaidate than
strengthen any petition to the governor
bearing his signature for communication
of Joseph Mackin'S sentence. More
over,
SINCE HIS CONVICTION
Col. L. S. Tuthill, who was then
United States district attorney, and
through whose prosecution Mackin was
brought to punishment. has been ele
waited to the Cook county Judiciary
bench with States Attorney Grinnell.
Neither of these judges, from their new
and more exalted positions, would be
likely to recommend executive leniency
in so notorious a case as that of the bal
lOt-bOX eXploiter, and ''other men prom
inent in the councils of the Democratic
party'' congratulate themselves upon
the fact that the disclosures as to the
breaking into the vaults in County Clerk
NJ Il, Il % Il Of
the time any further than they did.
When the vault was opened the envel-
Ope containing the legitimate ballots was
taken out, the fraudulent ones subSti-
tuted by Mackin and his cOnfederates
either inside or outside Of the county
clerks Office and the vault doors closed
again by parties who must certainly
have known the combination of the
vault door. County Clerk Ryan himself
as well as his Chief Clerks BiehI. Glea-
son and Dwyer did not altogether es-
cape suspicion. So many hearts would
ache that the prominent Democrats
are as surprised as they are satisfied
that the conSpiratOrs who penetrated to
the very vaults of the county clerks
Office and effected the political rape of
its contents got Off so easily. and that
one whose silence could be bought was
chosen to do vicarious punishment for
the whole. 1t is true that NJ. c. McDon- |
ald the once notorious gambler and po-
litical boss of Chicago. is still Mackin's |
friend and patron, and it is equally true
that no one whose name would be likely |
to have weight with the governor and |
representing the better element CT the |
Democratic party, would care to asso-
ciate their signature with McDOnald'S |
in an application to the governor for
Mackin's pardon.